We go to the forest more and more often socially, with family or friends, drawing peace of mind and recovery from nature. The human connection to nature is also an important matter for nature conservation and the future of our entire environment.
The forest affects human well-being in at least three ways.
Nature itself inspires people to move, which improves physical fitness. Moving in nature is often unforced and self-paced, and it can feel natural even to those who do not find traditional sports appealing.
Forests and nature also have direct health effects. Your heart rate slows down and your mind calms and frees up. This allows for recovery, and nature experiences can even feel empowering.
Moving in the forest can also increase social well-being: visitors to national parks, especially in the north, highly value the encounters they experience during hikes. Human contacts are an important and valuable addition to the nature experience. In Southern Finland, people often go to national parks with family or friends to experience things together, so sociality is important there as well.
The many well-being-related benefits offered by nature and forests are easily listed by Hanna Ylitalo, Development Manager at Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland. Nature has always been an important part of her life, both at work and in her free time.
Metsähallitus is a state-owned enterprise whose purpose is to take care of state land and water assets, i.e., to manage state-owned land and water areas, generating diverse value. Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland specifically focuses on the management of nature conservation areas with state budget funding.
– The core of our operations is securing natural values, i.e., mitigating biodiversity loss and promoting the recreational use and benefits of nature.
Metsähallitus has offices all over Finland; in the Turku area, operations are located at the Science Park's coworking space Werstas. Metsähallitus is one of the largest operators at Werstas, with nearly 40 employees.
– When it became time to look for a new office, we definitely wanted to be near the railway line so that we can easily travel to other cities. Science Park was a logical location for us, and thanks to our location, it is easy for us to attract colleagues here from the capital region as well.
Finns discovered nature and national parks in a whole new way during the corona period, and the number of visitors to national parks increased by tens of thousands at its peak. They are still higher than before the pandemic and the year 2020.
– It is gratifying that people have discovered the opportunities offered by nature, although for us, it has meant some maintenance challenges. With national parks, we are always balancing the fact that in addition to nature conservation, they are also intended as attractions and for nature hobbies, but visitor numbers should still stay within certain limits, reflects Ylitalo.
The most famous national park in the Turku area is Kurjenrahka. Ylitalo lists other destinations in our area worth visiting, including the Mälikkälä forest, the nature surrounding Impivaara, Koroistenniemi, and the entire Turku National Urban Park, which extends from Ruissalo along the riverbanks all the way to Vanhalinna in Lieto.
– Moving in nature and forests can be something everyday in your immediate circle, or clear getaways that you do on weekends and holidays. Both are needed, says Ylitalo.
As the connection to nature strengthens, people are more willing to make more ecological choices in their daily lives, which can help find solutions to the global ecological crisis. The change is visible in both small and large everyday actions as well as, for example, in voting behavior.
– I hope that more and more people will experience such good moments in nature that their connection to nature deepens and strengthens. This is of course desirable for immediate human well-being, but it is also an essential bridge to nature conservation and the future. That is why we want to attract and guide people to nature, including nature conservation areas.
Although the state of the world makes Ylitalo serious, she still wants to maintain optimism.
– One has to think that we do what we can locally. At Metsähallitus, we would have solutions to major crises, such as stopping biodiversity loss and protecting nature's diversity, but we need much more resources for the work than we have now.
National parks and other nature conservation areas as well as historical sites can be found on the Metsähallitus website luontoon.fi